From the Pastor |
Matthew 13; 31-33, 44-52
There was a Sunday School teacher who was discussing heaven with her young class. She asked the class “If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale, and gave all my money to the church, would that get me into heaven?” “NO!” the children all answered. “How about if I cleaned the church every day, mowed the lawn, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into heaven?” Again the answer was, “NO!” “Well, what if I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children and loved my husband, would that get me into heaven?” Once more they all answered, “NO!” She was impressed and thought that they really had a good grasp of Christian theology for children so young… so she asked them “Well then, how can I get into heaven?” One young boy shouted out, “You gotta be dead!” The kingdom of Heaven seemed so simple for those children… you die and that is where you go. Have you actually considered what the Kingdom of Heaven is? Where is it? What is it truly like? When you think about God’s Kingdom, what picture comes to mind? Do you picture a castle among rolling hills like in the tales of Camelot where God sits on a throne? Do you imagine pearly gates and golden streets? Most often… when we think of God’s Kingdom… the Kingdom of Heaven… that is the type of picture we have in our heads. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a distant, magical realm that we will enter after we die. In fact… it is a concept we don’t normally dwell on except during times of illness, tragedy or at funerals. In Jesus’ time, the people longed for the coming of the Messiah to usher in God’s Kingdom. They believed that the Messiah would establish that kingdom on earth and rid Israel of its oppressors… That the Messiah would be the new King of Israel. However, instead of driving Rome out of Israel and establishing God’s Kingdom… Jesus died on a Roman cross. Even though Jesus preached that the Kingdom of God was near… it was not what the people were expecting. Well… Today’s gospel reading continues Jesus’ use of parables to describe the Kingdom of Heaven to the people. In fact, we heard 5 distinct comparisons. Each comparison is a little different and a bit strange, but when we look at them, we can see that they all build upon each other to give us a pretty good idea of what the Kingdom of Heaven is truly like. The first is that “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed… Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” The kingdom starts out small and seemingly insignificant… almost hard to see… It has little impact on the world around it, but as it grows it will become life-sustaining… providing shelter and care. The second is similar… “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.” If you have ever baked bread you know that it only takes a small amount of yeast to spread and grow… easily doubling the size of the bread. Yeast works overtime from the inside but has a vast impact on the surrounding dough. So far… it seems that the kingdom of Heaven is a realm that begins small and seems to have little impact on the world… but overtime it will work from within… spreading and growing… But we are not done yet… Jesus moves us from a place of small beginnings that have massive impacts to personal encounters. Because the Kingdom is ALSO likened to a great treasure hidden in a field… and a pearl of great value. This treasure and that pearl were so impressive and valuable that the one who finds each “went and sold all he had” in order to buy it. They found such joy in it that they gave up everything to have it. Jesus says that is what the kingdom is like… it has such an overwhelming value that is provides such great joy to those who find it that they are willing to sacrifice everything for it… And finally Jesus tells us that the “the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away.” Much like last week’s Parable of the weeds, Jesus warns that one day… in the future… when God’s reign is firmly established… there will come a time of judgement… the good and the bad will be separated and justice will prevail. So what is the kingdom of heaven like? Well… the Kingdom of Heaven may start small, but it will continue to spread and grow… it has tremendous value to those who seek it and find it and then let go of everything else to claim it… and when the kingdom is one day fully realized as the life-sustaining realm of God… there will come a time when all will be judged. Boom! We’re done right? Not yet! All of the parables this morning make it clear that heaven is not just some place that we might be going to at the end of our lives here on earth. In fact, the Kingdom of Heaven is clearly shown as something that exists right here and right now, alongside the harsher realities of our everyday world. Think about it for a moment… When the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom would come, Jesus answered “The kingdom of God does not come that you can watch closely for it. Nor shall they say, “See here! or “See there!” for the kingdom of God is within you!” (Luke 17:20-21) The kingdom is within you! And it begins with that small seed of faith. Look at a mustard seed sometime… it is pretty small, but the plant that grows from it can grow up to 20 feet tall and 20 feet wide. That’s huge! It can grow in dry, arid climates, or in cool, wet climates… it can even thrive in clay or sandy soil. And if the tree is cut down to the trunk… it can grow back again. It’s no wonder Jesus used this analogy for the Kingdom of Heaven. For the kingdom of Heaven begins as the faith planted within each of us. It can be planted in difficult times and under trying circumstances, but can still grow… and even if something happens and our faith is “cut down”… if just a tiny bit remains our faith can overcome and regrow stronger than ever. And how about the yeast… This was a pretty significant comparison because in scripture, yeast was a symbol of sin and corruption… it was considered a contaminant… I believe Jesus used the idea of yeast, not only to demonstrate how the kingdom would grow and spread, but also to describe how the kingdom of God would contaminate the cultural norms… disrupt hierarchy and injustice. As our faith grows… so does God’s Kingdom right here on earth… it grows and spreads… changing the world… disrupting the status quo until it becomes a place of provision and proves to be life-sustaining as God’s reign is firmly established over all. Then as our faith continues to grow… as we seek God’s kingdom in our lives and in the world around us… as we recognize God’s work in us… around us… and through us… we can see the kingdom for the treasure… the beautiful and valuable pearl that it is. And when we recognize that… If we are willing to sacrifice… to offer our wholehearted commitment to God… even if it disrupts our daily lives… then Jesus assures us that the joy we will experience will be amazing. You see… the key we so often forget is that Heaven is not just some place we go when we die… It is not simply some future reality we can look to with longing… One day God’s Kingdom will be THE reality in the world… love, peace and justice WILL prevail. But Heaven… God’s Kingdom is here… now… it has begun… and it is growing and spreading… It is within me… it is within you… There is a mustard seed of faith inside each and every one of us… we just need to let it grow. Amen.
0 Comments
Matthew 13: 24-30, 36-43
Our gospel reading continues in Matthew 13 with another Parable from Jesus. It seems we are moving along quickly… from sowing seeds to pulling weeds. Last week we heard of the strange farmer who planted seeds by scattering them willy-nilly over the ground… allowing them to land in various types of soil. Those soils being our human nature… the good and the bad… that allows the seeds of God to either grow or wither and die. This week we continue with the farming analogy to explain the Kingdom of Heaven. However, this time the farmer successfully plants good seed in the field… but just like in the previous parable… the seeds encounter difficulty, because as the seeds grow… so do the weeds… a lot of weeds… Weeds have invaded the field and are growing alongside and among the wheat. When the servants ask the farmer about this… he says that he planted the good seeds and an enemy planted the weeds. When asked to explain this parable to the disciples, Jesus made it seem pretty straight forward. He said: “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. [Jesus himself] The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.” [Matt. 13: 37-39] See… this parable is pretty simple. Jesus is the sower… the seeds are the good people (like you and me)… the weeds are the bad people… But just like all of Jesus’s parables… this one has a bit of a twist to it. I mean… Any good gardener knows that if weeds grow in your garden… you pull them out… keep them from crowding out your veggies or your flowers. But not Jesus… nope! Jesus specifically says NOT to pull the weeds… he says this is actually dangerous because the good wheat might get uprooted as well. So, what is the kingdom of Heaven like? I guess it’s like a farmer who allows good and evil exist and grow side by side?!? Yes… it seems that is true… for a time… but the Good News is that there will be a time of judgement. There will be a time when the good will be brought into the farmer’s barn… into the kingdom… and the bad… the weeds… will be destroyed. That is good news indeed because looking around our world, it’s kinda hard to imagine that good will finally overcome evil. After all… evil seems to flourish and grow… oddly enough… like weeds… easily taking root and choking out the good until we cannot seem to see it anymore. We live in a world of corruption, poverty, and violence… a world of greed and selfishness… of injustice and inequality… It too often seems like evil just might be winning. But Jesus offers hope… he assures us… that at the “end of the age” the goodness of God will triumph over the evil of the devil. However… this parable makes a couple of things pretty clear. First, the glorious time of God’s harvest… is NOT yet come… it is not now! And second… The weeding of God’s field… will NOT be done by us! In fact the sower… Jesus… says that we are not allowed to “pull up” the weeds… it is not our job. That is the job of the harvesters… the angels. If it was left up to us… undoubtedly some of the wheat… the good seed… would be damaged or destroyed. When the end of the age comes… when the final harvest begins… only God will truly be able to make the distinction between the wheat and the weeds. If we try and make the judgement regarding the status of others… if we try to pull the weeds from God’s field ourselves… we will most likely do damage to the good… to the kingdom of heaven. You see… We cannot know everything there is to know about someone else… we cannot even pretend to know what is in their heart… just as we cannot pretend that we have it completely right… that our way is the only right way… that there is no chance we might be in the wrong. Let’s face it… We are not capable of sitting on the Throne of Judgement… it is NOT our place… the final Judgement is not up to us… Unfortunately… we do seem to like to judge others. Don’t we? We judge how they look… how they act… how they speak… we judge their lifestyle and even their faith practices. We like to point out their faults and failures and tell them how they are living wrong! We measure their “goodness” by our standards and tell them why they are unacceptable to God… maybe they are the wrong color, sexual orientation, age or economic class. Maybe we believe they are lazy and looking for a free ride… or they’re addicts… or they are homeless and dirty… maybe they are too greedy… too angry… too depressed… too happy… too… something. We put others down so that we can feel better about ourselves… yes… even we Christians have fallen victim to the unrighteous judgement zone! We too often think that because we know and follow Christ… we are capable of passing judgement on others. If this wasn’t true… then every Christian church would be seen as a beacon of love and hope in a dark and chaotic world… but that… unfortunately… has not been the experience for far too many people. For many… the church is a place of judgement and ridicule and exclusion. A place where doors and arms are wide open… as long as you are just like everyone else… as long as you pass their litmus test… as long as you believe exactly as they do and live as they do. A place where love and hope are guarded so tightly that they seem to be in short supply. Today’s parable provides a serious reminder for us… We are incapable of judging others… of determining who is among the wheat and who is a weed. Only God knows what is on the inside… what is truly in someone’s heart. Judgement is not up to us! If we truly believe that God is alive and active in our world, then we must trust the One who will judge ALL people… both the good and the bad… and realize that through Christ we can experience the hope for the day when “justice [will] roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” [Amos 5:24] As people of faith, we cannot live pessimistic, cynical, judgmental lives… and we cannot give into despair when we look at the evil around us. We need to place our hope in the day when the final harvest will take place… when the “weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire…” When the “angels… will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil… Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” We may not see this day come to pass in our lifetime… our hopes and dreams of justice, love and peace for the world might not come to fruition today… or tomorrow… or even in the next 1000 years. Our time is not God’s time. However, we can, with faith, live into the hope we have received through Christ Jesus… and we can work toward the reality of this hope in our daily lives. It is what we are called to do. We are called to live together… the “wheat” with the “weeds”. We are not called to pull up and destroy the ones we think are wrong, or bad, or unworthy… but to proclaim the hope and love of God to all… to the good and the bad… to the rich and the poor… to the strong and especially to the most vulnerable… the ones Jesus would call the least of these. We are called to work towards the hope of love for all people… seeking to protect other in Christ’s name. Striving to provide adequate shelter, food, and clean water… decent healthcare, and education to all people through our actions, our voices and our votes We are called to work for the hope of peace and justice by refusing to engage in hatred, or angry and divisive speech… fight against injustice in all its forms, wherever and whenever we find it. We are called to provide hope to our world by living responsibly and working to care for our environment every day… being the good stewards of God’s creation. What this all boils down to is that we must allow the glorious vision of God’s kingdom… the vision of hope, peace, justice and love… to fill our hearts so that we can live as the wheat… the good people of God. Proclaiming the hope of God through our everyday words and actions in the midst of the turmoil and troubles of our time. For as the Wisdom of Solomon says: “… you have taught your people that the righteous must be kind, and you have filled your children with good hope, because you give repentance for sins.” [12:18-19] None of this is easy… it is in no way comfortable… but we must let go of our judgements and instead… be the change we long to see in others. Amen. Isaiah 55:10-13 & Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
It was just over a month ago that our battle against COVID-19 had to share headlines when racial issues we face as a nation exploded with the tragic death of George Floyd. The public outcry for justice and change has been powerful. The Black Lives Matter movement gained serious momentum as millions of people of all ages and races called for change… for equal justice for all. Millions who have gathered to protest in cities, towns and villages across the country; taking up the cry for equality and justice for ALL people. Yet, there are many who feel that these calls have gone too far… that we must focus on the idea that “All Lives Matter” especially since we are all God’s children. Those who are angry that history is being “removed” as statues that are being taken down… It seems like lines are being drawn in the sand… Once again this nation is divided and angry… greatly in need of hope and love. So where does all this leave us? What are Christians to do? Well… the Gospel tells us that much like people today, the people of Israel longed to hear a message of hope and love… and they came to Jesus to receive that message. In fact, so many people came to hear Jesus speak… that Jesus had to sit in a boat just off shore. Once he settles in, Jesus responds to their need by telling a parable, the Parable of the Sower. He tells of a farmer who scatters the seed all around. He then describes four types of soil that the seed lands in and what happens to the seed: There is the Path… the hard ground where the seed is unable to take root at all… There is the Rocky Ground where shallow soil allows the seed may sprout but it can’t take root… There is the thorny are were the seeds are choked out and die. And there is the Good Soil where the seed takes root and grows to bear abundant fruit. Now, the people of Israel were familiar with the image of a farmer being a metaphor for God’s activity with Israel. After all, Israel was very much an agricultural society, and their scriptures often pointed to God as a farmer… the one who plants and nurtures and sustains. Our reading from Isaiah is in line with this metaphor: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” This is the metaphor Jesus uses today as well. God is the sower… the farmer… the seed is God’s word. The soils? Well… that is us. You see… Jesus is not just describing different types of soil or even different circumstances of life. He is describing the various landscapes of the human heart. Hearts that are sometimes hard as stone… or rocky with shallow spots of soil… or thorny and full of weeds… and hearts that are open and fertile. The most common way of interpreting this parable is that it invites us to reflect on our hearts… to reevaluate what type of soil is within us. While this is true and is an extremely important message… reducing this parable to the simple question of “what kind of soil are you?” misses a great deal. Think about it this way… The four soils are all very different… but they all have 2 things in common. The seeds and the sower. The sower uses a method called “broadcasting”… it is the method of sowing seeds by scattering them over the surface of the soil as evenly as possible… This method was an important point because, in ancient Israel, you couldn’t simply run to Lowes to by your seeds… you had to save a portion of last year’s crops and spend time and energy to collect the seeds. No good farmer would dare waste seed. But the farmer Jesus speaks of is recklessly walking around just throwing seed everywhere! It seems a bit wasteful and foolish. However, it truly demonstrates the heart of God. The desire God has to reach out to all. The thing we can see from this parable is that the farmer broadcasts the seeds across all four soils… equally… with equal hope and generosity. No soil is left unsown… the farmer did not stop to check out the viability or quality of the soil… because this is not about the quality of the soil… but the faithfulness and love of God. God’s word is sown like the seeds… here, there and everywhere. No life, no person, no soil is left out. The status of our hearts… the soil… is important because that will determine the fruitfulness of the planting. But the good news is that even if the soil is not ideal… God will continue to plant the seeds of God’s word over and over again. So what does this all mean in relation to all that is happening in our nation? Well, can anyone argue that change needs to come to our society? This parable calls for change… change that begins internally… with some hard, introspective work. We need to take time to evaluate and cultivate the “soil” of our hearts. To enable the word of God to not only take root but to bring growth so that we can understand and strive for justice, respect and peace to come for all people. Christ’s call for us to become “good soil” means that we need seek to be those who study and receive God’s word responsibly, thoughtfully and prayerfully, and then allow it to direct us as we interact with others, work for justice and seek to bring life as God’s word empowers and guides us. It is only through God’s word that we can truly find and share love… and it is only through love that things will change. Hatred, violence, or apathy will never bring an end to racism. But people forming real relationships, listening to one another, and standing with each other in pain may be the start we need. We are in a place where all of God’s children must stand together, holding up a banner of love, understanding and grace for all, but we need to do as Jesus did and focus primarily on those who are the placed in the margins… who are oppressed and experiencing injustice. Unfortunately, there are too many people… too many Christians who turn a blind eye to injustice because they feel that it does not directly affect them… who do not seem to be shocked by the demonstrations of white supremacy… Too often we can see the hardened hearts and the apathy that surround the issues of white privilege and systemic racism. There are too many who are not outraged by the inequality of justice in our society, but instead simply look to continue their personal faith journey… Too many who seem to be missing the point… thinking only of the state of their own “soil”. For years, that was me. I had missed the point as well. I spent far too long being apathetic about these issues. I missed the chance to stand with my brothers and sisters of color and work toward eliminating injustice because I did not understand that in order to combat racism, it is not enough to non-racist… we MUST be anti-racist. For a long time, God’s liberating words of justice and love fell on my own hard and rocky soil. But that is where we truly find Good News today… here we find hope… Our God never stops working the soil of our hearts… transforming the rocks and thorns until they become good and fertile soil. When we continue to immerse ourselves in God’s word and let it grow within us… allowing God in to cultivate the soil of our hearts… that is when abundant fruit will grow… the fruits of kindness and compassion and greater love for our neighbor. Our scriptures remind us that God is always at work transforming hearts and minds… But this parable isn’t just about our individual hearts. It is full of hope for a better future… for Jesus, the Word of God, came “to proclaim good news to the poor… to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free…” [Luke 4:18b] America is greatly divided by race, politics and ideology. It seems like everyone is speaking but NOONE is listening. This needs to change. WE need to change. Our brothers and sisters of color are crying out for us to hear them… to truly listen to them. We have the opportunity… Listen to them! Open your hearts to truly hear what they have to say. Hear this parable of the sower and open your hearts to God’s word… know that God’s word has come to heal and to bring freedom and justice for all people. We are God’s people… How can we help to not only cultivate the soil of our own hearts, but to share in the loving and liberating actions of God in our world today? How will we actively participate in God’s work? How will we stand with those being mistreated? There is world of justice, joy, and hope to be received and to be given. A world cultivated by God’s word where “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” Don’t miss the opportunity to participate in it! Amen ROMANS 7: 15-25
Back in the early part of the 20th century, is a British newspaper asked a group of prominent authors and thinkers of the time period an intriguing question: “What’s wrong with the world?” The most infamous response was a simple reply from the English writer and philosopher, G. K. Chesterton: Dear Sirs, I am. Yours, G. K. Chesterton When we think of all that is wrong with the world today… how many of us really come to the conclusion that the answer is… us! It makes me wonder if that is what our scripture reading from Romans is telling us though. It was about 25-30 years since the crucifixion, the Christian faith has spread across the empire all the way to Rome. It seems that a lot of people, in many places have accepted the teachings of Jesus… accepted Jesus as Lord and savior. They heard the message of Jesus… they have accepted it and been baptized. But there are still problems… Even within the church community… it seems like after embracing the faith… the struggles began. We have seen from history that the early Christians had much to fear. Like Christ… they were rejected and persecuted. They had to struggle just to survive… but this is NOT the struggle Paul speaks of today. The struggle that they all (even Paul) faced is internal. Christians were experiencing a divided self… an inner struggle. It almost seems like Paul is answering the query “What is wrong with the world?” by saying “I am! The problem is within me!” Paul intimates that the problem stems from our human nature… that the very nature of being human is sin. Just because they have accepted Christ… just because they have been baptized in Jesus’ name… does not mean they are now made perfect. It does not mean that they no longer have to worry about sin. Even though they now know what God’s commandments are… even though they know what is good and right… even though they may want to do good… knowing and wanting is not enough. Sin still gets in the way. This was true for Paul himself: “For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” [Romans 7: 18-19] Paul warns the Roman congregation that sin and evil are not only in the world… but also in every person… even those who have accepted and now follow Jesus. Being baptized does not exempt them from having to deal with sin… it does not automatically eliminate sin from their lives. They are still human… they are still a part of the world… they will still struggle everyday with the desires of the flesh… their selfish wants and desires EVEN as they long to do what is good and right. Paul wants them to understand that sanctification… becoming perfect in Christ… is a never ending process… one that requires daily conscious effort. So what does this have to do with us… almost 2000 years later? Well… that’s pretty easy, isn’t it? Just look around you… We certainly do not have to look very far to see evil and sin in this world. It is all around us… it is seen in the news, on the streets… every day. Evil and sin can be seen everywhere… we see it reflected in the greed and selfishness of our society… in poverty and injustice… corruption… war and violence… human trafficking… abuse… the ecological destruction of God’s creation. Let’s face it… the list goes on and on. But you know what? We can also see it reflected in us… in you and me… We need Paul’s message now more than ever because just like Paul… we too experience the reality of a divided self. We, too, struggle daily with the temptations of sin. We have heard the teachings of Christ… we have learned his commands… we have accepted them and been baptized into the Christian Community… yet… like Paul… we still fail to do what is just and right and good. We still, far too often, find ourselves doing what we know we should not be doing… saying what should not be said… Paul recognized his human-ness… he realized that even though he had “come to Christ” as they say… even though he was an Apostle… a Christian leader… there was a battle raging inside him… A battle between what is right and what is wrong… between good and evil. It was a battle between God's will and Paul's human, sinful nature. It is a battle we can understand because we live with it raging inside of us every day. It is the battle between always doing what is right and the temptation to embrace a moment of pleasure or profit. Rationalizing that it “won’t hurt anyone” or “no one will know.” It is a battle that does not cease simply because we too have “come to Jesus.” There is so much sin and evil in this world… but sin and evil are not only done by non-believers. This is the reminder Paul gives us today. Throughout the history of the Christian Church… even up to this very day… great evil has been done by its members. Christians have given in to the temptations of sin… sometimes in small ways… sometimes in horrible ways… Followers of Christ are NOT immune to it. Our human nature is to sin. We cannot overcome it… it calls to us… reaches for us… brings us down. None of us are perfect… even Paul fell short and struggled with sin. His reminder of this fact demonstrates that, while we need to take responsibility for our words and actions… we need to be able to have compassion for both others AND ourselves because we ALL fall short of God’s standards. But, there is HOPE! As Paul said “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” [Romans 7:25] We need Christ Jesus… For human beings cannot defeat sin… cannot win out over the struggles we face on our own. Our faith in Christ is that only power that is great enough… strong enough to conquer the power of sin. Through Jesus, we are forgiven and set free… day by day, we are able to experience his power over sin through his growing presence in our hearts. Christ has overcome sin… he too calls to us… reaches out to us… Christ lifts us up. Jesus is our salvation… our help and our rescue. Christ died so that our sins might be forgiven… He rose from the dead so that we might live… truly live. This division within ourselves is something we need to be aware of… we need to consciously live our faith in the daily choices we make… even those that seem insignificant… for they not only impact the world, but they impact our lives and our hearts and our souls. This means we need to allow our faith to guide our decisions… everything from what we eat and what we wear… to how we conduct ourselves both personally and in business… even in how we vote… We need to live simply and with generosity… to let go of our consumer instinct to hold onto more than we need while others struggle to survive. Paul reminds us that we have to make the conscious, daily choice to do what is good and right and just… to live according to the Law of God… the Law of love. As followers of Jesus… we need to consciously work to overcome this struggle of self, because even for Christians… the lure and power of sin can seem overpowering, but Praise be to God… there is Hope… Because of God's Love… God’s Presence and God’s Power there is hope. Our freedom from sin comes through Christ Jesus… through him we receive the strength we need to withstand temptation… and through him we are forgiven even when we fall short… When we find ourselves wanting to do what is right but failing…. For God has delivered us, and will continue to deliver us, from our slavery to sin and death… because God does not look to condemn us, but rejoices in our acceptance and reliance on his grace. |
Yeon Shin
|